Homelessness

September 05, 2018

UChicago Urban Labs

The Ending Family Homelessness Report: Understanding the scale and needs of families experiencing homelessness in Chicago highlights a collaborative effort between Urban Labs, Chicago Public Schools, and the Corporation for Supportive Housing to estimate the total number of families that are experiencing homelessness in Chicago. The authors estimated 10,000 families were experiencing homelessness in 2017, out of which 8,000 of these families were experiencing homelessness while living doubled up.

Approximately 50% of the families that were experiencing literal homelessness self-reported living in doubled up situation or were flagged as “at- risk” of experiencing homelessness per the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by a school district, prevention funding program, and other services. The authors noted that half of the families that were indicated to be “at risk” of experiencing homelessness transitioned to literal homelessness within three months.

The report suggests that its analysis and projections do not predict patterns of potential or actual homelessness in Chicago, but hope that they provide a baseline for stakeholders and policymakers to begin planning efforts to serve families moving forward.